Date Set For West Springfield Town Council To Vote On Medical Marijuana Ordinance

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Massachusetts - The town council will vote on September 16 whether to adopt a new ordinance governing medical marijuana dispensaries, more than two months after a temporary moratorium on applications expired. Right now, the proposed regulations are in committee, where they can be amended before the final vote. The public comment period was closed Tuesday night after no one spoke on the matter. Under state law, towns and cities cannot ban medical marijuana dispensaries, but they can put zoning limits on them, relegating them to places and hours of operation they believe are most appropriate.

The proposed ordinance, as it stands now, states that marijuana may have "objectionable operational characteristics" and the dispensaries "should be located in such a way as to ensure the health, safety, and general well-being of the public as well as patients seeking treatment." It seeks to keep dispensaries away from places where minors congregate and to prevent several from being located in one area. Among other limits, they can't be within 500 feet of a school/day care center or abutting a residential area.

Hours would be decided by special permit, but no business will be allowed between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. No marijuana can be consumed on the premises, and the smell is not allowed to leave the building. The operator also has to make sure the dispensary has adequate security. The town council's next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 16, at 7 p.m. on the second floor of the J. Edward Christian Municipal Office Building, 26 Central St.

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